Life's Unexpected Curves
by Shay the Writer
Summary: Jane and Maura begin their new lives.


**Author Notes: This random bit has been in my head for a little while and has been playing out. Sort of post-series. This first chapter actually started at a different point, but I changed it to include the scenes in "For Richer or Poorer" when Jane brings up the job offer and then at the end where she says she's taking the job. I'm changing Jan's storyline a bit and not giving Maura an ex-husband because, quite frankly, it's a bullshit storyline and Jan Nash doesn't know shit about this show and seems to want to fuck it up right down to the last bit. But, I will factor in that last scene with Maura and the dude pointing a gun at her. Disclaimer: … Tess Gerritsen and Janet Tamaro own it. Not me. Not Jan Nash.**

 **Also, I plan on continuing the other fics. Be patient.**

RIZZLES

Jane Rizzoli had news. And the first person she wanted to share it with was not yet at her home. Her mother was, however, and Jane really wasn't ready to share this new information with her. Not yet; not after what happened between them regarding her undercover stint. Despite them making up over beer, there was still some residual tension over it. Dropping a bombshell now could further said tension. She had to bide her time on that.

But, Maura Isles was the one person she shared everything with. They were best friends and really close – almost unusually so. She knew that this bit of information was big and life-changing, for both of them really, and it might upset her friend. But, she needed to tell her and get her opinion on it. If Maura was heartbroken over it, Jane would reconsider or find a solution. If Maura was supportive, which she always was even if she didn't like what was happening, then Jane would make her choice. She didn't want to hurt Maura, but she needed to know how the woman felt over this situation.

As Jane and her mother spoke, Maura came through the front door to greet them. Jane smiled and told her "good morning" and said she was waiting for Maura to arrive so they could head to the newest crime scene together.

Once they left, Maura inquired about Angela's presence at Jane's and the detective explained how she and her mother were still rocky over the prison job. But, for most of the ride, it was silent. Jane was figuring out how to bring up her new development and Maura was trying to stifle a yawn.

Jane noticed and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I got home late last night," Maura admitted and got a smirk in return. "No, I was helping out at the clinic again. And, then Hope and I were talking about different things."

"I'm happy you have that with her now," Jane stated and smiled at her friend. And, she really was. Hope had spent most of her adult life believing her first child to be dead, because her ex – Maura's birth father – had told her so. There even was a grave to prove it. So, after finding out Maura Isles was really Maura Doyle, the baby she thought she'd lost, the two started to work out some sort of relationship. It got shaky at some points, but they were trying. And both women were happy for it. Maura finally started to have a relationship with the birth mother she had dreamed of meeting when she was little, and Hope got to reconnect with the daughter she thought she'd lost. Jane was happy that Maura was happy.

"I am, too. I know it doesn't make up for all those lost years – which were neither of our faults – but it's nice to have that. We're never going to have the kind of relationship a mother and daughter should have, like you have with Angela, but it's something," Maura explained.

"Well, I'm glad," Jane replied and took her right hand off the steering wheel to hold Maura's left hand. They smiled at each other.

Maura appreciated the support. Her relationship with her adoptive parents was still on shaky ground – their busy lives kept them from connecting more often with their daughter – but she was happy to be bonding with her birth mother. It had been a dream of hers since she found out she was adopted. Little Maura dreamed of her birth parents often and, honestly, envisioned them being warm and loving people. She had various fantasies about what their lives were like and hoped she would find them one day.

Of course, her birth father was not at all what she had expected him to be. Patrick "Paddy" Doyle, Jr. was a notorious and wanted Irish gangster. Little Maura had imagined him once being a young man who wanted to be something big, but he and his wife were not wealthy and couldn't provide for their new baby and that's why they gave her up. Paddy did love his daughter and held affection for her birth mother, but how he lived his life was less than ideal and much darker than anything Little Maura's imagination could fathom. Her birth mother, on the other hand, was actually everything Maura had dreamed. She was a doctor and lived her life helping and healing others in various locations around the world.

Meeting Hope Martin for the first time was hard for her because she hadn't introduced herself as Hope's daughter; just a fellow doctor who needed a professional consultation on a case. Maura was nervous and scared. She had dreamed of it happening and when it arrived, she felt intimidated by Hope. After Hope's other daughter Cailin figured it out, things got tense between the mother and daughter. Even before, during, and after Maura donated her kidney to help save Cailin. With time, Maura and Hope slowly started to reconcile their relationship.

But, like the reconnection between herself and her adoptive parents, busy schedules and distance made progress hard.

Hope was nearby when Maura had her neurological issues and was there for her during and after her surgery to fix it. Hope had realized that she didn't want to lose her first-born again, and made steps to be closer, more connected with her. And, that was how Maura ended up volunteering at Hope's clinic. Maura wanted to try other things after her health scare and working and connecting with patients was something she discovered she liked. It had occurred to Maura that none of this would've been possible if not for Jane. Maura's early social awkwardness and discomfort about people had dissipated the longer she was friends with the detective. Jane teased her, but never judged her or treated her with disdain for being nerdy and even helped her deal with people on a "normal" level. She was now okay being around live people and interacting with them.

Maura was broken out of her thoughts when the car came to a stop and they had arrived at the crime scene. She and Jane stepped out of the car and walked toward the body's location. She noticed that Jane had an unusual silence about her and wanted to ask, but experience taught her that Jane will allude to what's on her mind on her own time, in her own way, so Maura left it alone and continued talking about the clinic.

"I was nervous, at first, working with Hope and with live people as opposed to dead ones. But, you've helped me deal with social situations and what not to talk about," Maura began.

"I don't mind your Google-speak, and people who like you shouldn't mind it either, but not all people like it and it hurts when I see people reacting negatively to it and when you get upset by their reaction. I don't like it when you're upset," Jane explained, briefly putting her hand on Maura's arm.

The blonde continued, "And I appreciate that everything you've done for me. You've helped me become more comfortable with people. It's part of the reason why I decided to volunteer at the clinic. I felt I could work with real patients again. And, it's been great. It's so satisfying to really connect to the patients that I'm helping, you know. And, Hope was so lovely. Sharing her passion for her work really brought us closer together." Maura smiled, remembering something. "Last night, she was telling me this story about -."

"I got a job offer," Jane blurted out. She hadn't meant to interrupt her friend, but apparently she couldn't contain the secret anymore.

Maura recovered from the interruption and got curious. Jane hadn't mentioned any desire to really quit her job. She was a great detective with an excellent closure rate so, naturally, higher-ups would be interested in working with her or having her be a part of their team… but, Jane loved her job. Would she really leave it? "What kind of job offer?" she inquired as they came to a stop.

"Uh… a teaching offer," Jane replied and stammered a bit, trying to explain it. "An instructor at the, um, FBI academy in Quantico." She looked at Maura, trying to gauge her reaction. The blonde looked a little stunned and Jane couldn't tell if it was a bad stunned or a good stunned. "What do you think?"

Maura was taken aback. She figured it was an offer to advance Jane's police career… or at least something in Boston. Quantico. In Virginia. Far away from Boston. It was the Casey marriage proposal all over again. She wanted to voice her doubts like she had done back then, but Jane's face made her re-think that. Back then, Jane seemed to be happy with the concept of marrying Casey. Her current expression conveyed fear and self-doubt. She needed assurance from her friend.

"Uh, wow. I-I don't know. What do you think?"

"It's a good job, good money, excellent benefits. But, you know, I'd have to leave my family, BPD, Boston…" She left out of the obvious part. Leaving Maura. It wasn't something she wanted to fathom; leaving the one person who meant more to her than anyone in her life.

Supportive. Maura needed to be supportive of Jane, despite her sadness. Jane needed to be assured that everything would be okay and she would be supported no matter what her decision was. "I think it's extraordinary."

Jane didn't doubt that this offer was amazing, but she still wasn't sure if she should take it, though she was tremendously grateful for Maura's support if she chose to take it.

The two started walking again toward the crime scene. "I don't know if teaching is a thing for me."

Maura didn't really believe that. Jane thought taking down murderers, but when a chance arose for her to instruct someone how to do things – i.e., teaching Maura how to handle a gun, helping her brother study for his detectives exam, among other things – teaching seem to come natural to Jane and it occurred to Maura that Jane probably didn't even know that.

Despite her own feelings of impending abandonment, Maura kept up with the support and decided to convince her friend that this job might be a good idea. "Okay, so let's do the pros and cons."

"Okay."

"No more calls in the middle of the night," Maura pointed off.

"Yeah, but there's not that much excitement in a regular nine-to-five," Jane countered.

"Okay, well, you don't have to chase vicious criminals into dangerous situations," Maura tried again.

"Well, that's just good exercise."

Maura laughed at Jane's stubbornness to find a flaw in her current job. It made her wonder why the brunette was considering the job in the first place. Did she want Maura to point out the perks of the job because she couldn't find one good reason to take it? And, if that were the case, once again, why bother considering it in the first place? "I'm sure they gave a gym," she replied and thought of another perk, one that seemed most important given everything they've been through. "Okay, how about this: No one will be shooting at you."

Jane was inclined to agree with her. I mean, she had a point. Being a cop was dangerous and she put her life on the line every day, but she'd been shot, stabbed, kidnapped, beaten… A job that didn't come with a possible untimely death looked appealing. But, for right now, she wanted to keep things light and decided to play Maura's comment off. "That's a good thing…?"

Maura knew Jane was teasing, but still. "It is for your mother."

Jane silently agreed and decided they should move on from this for now, seeing as how there was a dead body to investigate. "Alright, can you just keep this between us until I figure out what I'm gonna do?" she asked as she pulled on the blue latex gloves.

"Of course," Maura replied, doing the same and approaching the body.

***RIZZLES***

 **NOTE: I couldn't come up with a creative alternative way to explain the hedge fund dude's existence and Maura having the documents he wanted that wouldn't involve the documents' source being linked to Maura like it was in the episode. So, I'm just wrapping it up in a short paragraph below to get on to the scenes that matter. Deal with it. Anyway…**

Once again, Maura's life was in danger. This time, a middle-aged man had his shotgun trained on her. He wanted the documents she had taken and he was willing to kill for them. Maura had tried her best to stall him or outsmart him but it didn't work. Thankfully, Jane arrived just before the guy was set to pull the trigger.

A lone tear had slid down her cheek and she was truly grateful for Jane's police training. Sneaking up on the man just in time, thus saving her friend's life… why would Jane ever want to leave this job? She was too good at it.

As she approached Jane, the brunette asked if she was okay. "I am now," was the only proper response she could form at the moment. Once everything settled down and her adrenaline returned to normal, she'd be able to voice everything she wanted to say to Jane.

Korsak held the guy in the back of their car until a patrol vehicle came to pick him up. Then Maura got in the back seat of the cruiser and called for a tow service to retrieve her car and the cruiser went back to the precinct.

Instead of the usual new tradition of gathering at the Dirty Robber to celebrate, they decided to meet up at Maura's. Angela was already there when everyone arrived and they were surprised to see her ex-boyfriend Ron back, though the "ex" part no longer existed; they were back together. Frankie and Nina had tagged along with Jane and Maura, forgoing a romantic evening alone to be with their family and friends. Korsak opted out, choosing to spend some time with Kiki. And, Kent had plans.

They had closed another case and Angela was happy to be back with Ron, so they just decided to have a little celebration… with cake! And, after having a gun pointed at her, Maura was grateful for the light-hearted event.

As the evening progressed, Jane and Maura found their way over to the couch, wine glass in hand and Maura holding a small plate with a piece of cake on it and Jane holding the utensil. They fell silent for a minute and Maura noticed that Jane was itching to say something. She knew it even as Jane started to say "um" that the detective had made the decision regarding her future career status. "You've decided to take the job, haven't you?"

She had. She spent most of the time debating on it, weighing pros and cons in her head. In all honesty, staying in Boston had been winning. She considered turning down the offer and trying something new in Boston. But, it took Maura's life in danger once again for the final decision to be made. Maura Isles had spent most of her life down in the morgue or in the lab, safe from harm's way. Danger seemed to attach itself to Jane, and being friends with her came with a warning label. Maura, in all her innocence, had been targeted by many criminals most often because of her connection to Jane. Charles Hoyt tried to mentally torture Jane by subduing Maura and slicing her neck. Alice Sands had a vendetta against Jane and had someone kidnap Maura to get to Jane.

It was one thing when it was directed at her, but when the danger went after her friends and family because of her… She didn't want that to happen again. She didn't know what would happen after she left, but she realized that as long as she was in this job, the people in her life also faced danger. And, that was something she wouldn't allow any longer. She made her choice.

"Yes, I have. I think it's the right thing to do," she replied.

Maura gave her a smile. "Proud of you."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Maura answered. "I know change is hard and it's scary to face the unknown, but we have more to do in our lives."

"Yeah. Thanks for supporting me."

"It's what best friends do."

They smiled at each other and Jane raised her wine glass. "Here's to change," she toasted.

Maura lifted her glass and clinked it to Jane's. "To change." They were both about to sip their wine when Maura added, "And maybe collared shirts."

Jane had the rim of the glass at her lips but pulled away. "No." Maura smiled and took a sip of her wine. "God, no. That is never gonna happen, not even at the Bureau." They both laughed and Jane remembered something else. "Ooh! Here's some good news. Uh, the employee discount at the FBI, in the gift shop… twenty-five percent off."

Maura feigns a gasp then chuckles as Jane takes a sip of her own wine. "You know, I can't resist a sale."

Jane hummed her agreement as she swallowed the red liquid. She watched as Maura set her glass down on the coffee table and picked up the small plate holding the cake slice. Jane followed suit and picked up the fork and moved to take a tiny bit off of the slice and popping it into her mouth. Maura feigned a glare and Jane smiled, handing her back her fork. Maura took a piece off for herself before setting the fork back on the plate.

Once Jane swallowed her piece, she gazed softly at her friend and said in a whisper only loud enough for Maura to hear, "I'm going to miss this."

Maura smiled and fought the urge to cry in that moment. She didn't know when Jane would leave and she knew she wasn't going to be ready for it, but the scary realization that she would have to say goodbye to her best friend made her suddenly emotional. She moved to grasp Jane's left hand. "Me, too, Jane. Me, too."

Seeing the upset look on Maura's face and hearing the crack in her voice as she spoke upset Jane. She glanced over at the kitchen island where everyone was having a conversation and were completely oblivious to the two women nearly losing it over on the sofa.

The brunette used her free hand to cover Maura's and scooted closer. "Shh. It's gonna be okay, Maura. I promise. We'll figure this out. I know we won't see each other every day, but we'll text and call each other all the time and we can Skype. And, you can come down on weekends or I can come back home to see you…" Jane realized that she sounded like a person talking about being separated from their significant other. For all intents and purposes that's what she and Maura were, save for the intimacy. She stopped herself and tried to cover. "… and everyone else. It's not like we'll never see each other again. It's you and me; there's no ending that."

They stared at each other for the longest time, leaving whatever that was that just happened hang in the air. Jane knew that this wasn't normal behavior toward a best friend. Maura knew it wasn't, either. Neither was her strong emotional reaction to her friend leaving her. She wanted nothing more than to grab her best friend in the fiercest hug and never let her go. Just make everything disappear and just be the two of them. Together.

"Hey, girls! Why so quiet over there?" Angela asked from behind the kitchen island. It broke the delicate atmosphere that had settled over them. "You two want any more cake?"

Jane took a glance at the plate still in Maura's hand. Only two bites had been taken from it. And, Jane wasn't hungry anymore. Maura shook her head, indicating that she didn't want more either. "No, Ma. We're fine over here." She released Maura's hand and stood up, trying to collect herself and leave whatever just happened behind. "We were just talking, that's all."

Maura looked down at the barely touched dessert and it occurred to her that she didn't want it anymore. She was kind of tired and chalked it up to the adrenaline – from her brush with death – coming down. She hoped that this party would end soon, so she could take a relaxing bath or do some yoga and clear her mind of all its current confusion.

***RIZZLES***

About an hour later, Frankie and Nina had gone back to his place. Angela and Ron had retired to the guest house, and Jane and Maura were quietly cleaning dishes in the kitchen. Once they had returned to the little party, other people's conversations distracted them from theirs and they were able to relax and have some laughs.

But, the others were gone now and it was just them again and the feelings had returned. Something was different now and it wasn't because of Jane's decision to take the FBI gig. The tension that hung in the air was almost visible, suffocating even.

They put the last of the dishes away and Jane decided to break the silence. "I think I should get going." The sudden noise caused Maura to flinch a bit, but Jane continued. "It's really late and we both need sleep, so…" And, without a response from Maura, Jane slowly made her way to the little table behind the couch, where she had deposited her keys, badge and gun. She picked them up and started for the door.

Maura followed her and stopped by the closed door, noticing Jane's hand hesitating on the handle.

"I really am proud of you, Jane," she stated quietly.

Jane dropped her hand from the knob and turned to face her friend. She let out a shaky breath and smiled at her best friend. "Thank you."

Jane moved close to Maura and wrapped her in a hug. She needed to feel a sense of comfort at that moment. She was leaving. She was leaving her career, her city, her family, and the person that meant everything to her: the woman in her arms. And, not only that, but during their last conversation on the couch, something had shifted between them. Jane wasn't sure what it was, but she was positive that something had happened. The future looked very terrifying. And Maura's embrace looked like a very safe place.

Maura was surprised by the hug, and by the emotional impact of it. She was still trying to figure out what had shifted for them and fully expected Jane – a woman known for hiding certain emotions from even her best friend – to just say goodnight and leave. The hug was unexpected, but comforting.

As Jane began to pull away, Maura moved to place a soft kiss on her cheek and had intended to say "you're welcome" but froze.

Maybe it was the tense atmosphere from before combined with their current proximity, but another shift seemed to occur between them and, oddly enough, it was Jane who made the first move.

When Maura started to pull away from her, Jane leaned in and pecked the corner of her mouth. She knew it wasn't possible, but the doctor was almost positive that time had stopped. She noticed that Jane had frozen to the spot.

She couldn't believe what she had done. She had kissed Maura. Not a kiss on the cheek, but a kiss. Corner of the mouth, but still a kiss. And, she didn't know why she did it. There was no way to backtrack what happened. It wasn't an accidental 'oh, I was trying to kiss your cheek' kiss. She had purposefully leaned in and _kissed_ Maura's mouth. Every fiber of her being told her to apologize, chalk it up to stupid emotions, and run. But, her body would not cooperate. She just stood there silent; mute.

And, then the night took another unexpected turn.

Maura had leaned in and kissed her back. This time, fully on the lips. It wasn't a passionate kiss; she just pressed her lips against Jane's.

Maura couldn't understand it, either. She wasn't sure how Jane felt and didn't want to even voice it because that might scare the detective further. She just acted. The blonde made it a quick press to the lips and nothing more. Whatever happened after that…

Both were aware, somewhere in the depths of their minds, that this wasn't a thing best friends did. Nor was it a thing even grown adults did. This behavior mimicked that of a couple teenagers experimenting and testing their feelings.

Maura had pulled back and they stood stock still. Jane's eyes darted between Maura's eyes and her lips; Maura's darted between Jane's eyes and lips. They weren't sure of how to handle what was happening. Every instinct told them this should not happen and they should pull back and forget about it and go about life.

Pure coincidence led them both to crash into each other in a very heated kiss. Lips and tongues and teeth coming together in synchronized rhythm.

Jane went to wrap herself around Maura, but realized she was still holding her keys, gun and badge. She pulled away from Maura – an action she had suddenly realized she didn't like doing – and looked at her. "Maura…"

"I'm sorry, Jane. I know. W-We shouldn't," the blonde said, shakily. Her breathing was erratic due to not only being deprived of oxygen as they kissed but also the fear of what they had just done and the dejection she knew she was about to face from the brunette standing in front of her. She didn't want this to end, especially with Jane leaving soon. Maura did not want their impending separation to be clouded by this new tension.

Jane smiled softly and needed desperately to allay her friend's fears. "No, no, Maura. Don't apologize." She stared into beautiful and watery hazel eyes. "I-I don't want to stop. I just. I need to set this stuff down somewhere so I can hold you." She lifted up the objects in her hands, indicating what she meant, trying to get Maura to understand what was really happening.

Upon realizing what Jane meant, Maura let out a shaky laugh and almost burst into tears. "Oh. Okay." She took the objects out of her friend's hands and set them down on the nearest surface she could find – a table that sat just inside the entranceway to her home. When she turned back to Jane, she was surprised to find her about an inch from her. Instantly, strong arms went around her waist and they both backed up until Maura's back connected to a wall. Her hands went from gripping the muscled forearms of her best friend to that beautiful long neck, her thumbs softly stroking the skin there. "Better?" she whispered.

Jane just smiled and continued her new favorite activity – kissing Maura Isles.

 **Sorry if some of this is shitty writing. The actual beginning of this whole story that I'm writing was not thoroughly thought out. Just bits and pieces. And, I think I'm going through writer's block and what is possibly the worst time to go through it. So, bear with me.**


End file.
